The Perseid meteor shower is about hit its peak for 2015, and the weather looks like it will cooperate enough to allow Toronto residents to get in on the fun. But, as is the case with all these celestial events, you'll want to get as far away from the city's light pollution as possible to maximize your viewing potential.
Given that Perseid shower is typically the strongest of the various annual meteor events, you don't need to head to an area of complete darkness to see a few shooting stars, but if you hope to see the 100 per hour that some astronomers are predicting, you'll want to use this map to hunt down a light pollution-free area.
This year's shower is set to peak after midnight on August 13th, though meteor activity is already happening right now (something that lucky people at cottages will be aware of) and will continue at a good clip on the 14th. What makes this year's event so tantalizing is that the moon is almost new, meaning its glare will not interfere with the shower.
Your best bets for seeing a strong display of shooting stars is to exercise common sense. Check weather maps to ensure there's no cloud cover, seek out as dark a viewing spot as possible, make sure to bring something that'll keep you comfortable as you stare at the sky for over an hour (blanket, chair, etc.), and give your eyes time to acclimatize to the dark.
If you're knowledge of the night sky is decent, you'd do well to locate the radiant point of the meteor shower, which aligns with the constellation Perseus. You don't, however, have to do this. Just look up. If you've picked a good location, you should see lots of meteors.
Photo via Nasa
by Derek Flack via blogTO
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